


Strong Connection

by icantwriteyo



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Life Is Strange 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Codependency, Daniel Still Has Powers as Well, Episode 3 AU, F/F, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, More tags to be added, Sean Has Powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-02-29 10:08:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18776128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icantwriteyo/pseuds/icantwriteyo
Summary: Perhaps there was something different, something inherently carnal, in Sean as a person. Because, unlike sweet and innocent Daniel, whose power had awoken in the face of familial love and despair, Sean’s awoken from the riddled mess of young, new, desperate love.AU of Life is Strange 2 - starting with canon divergence at the end of Episode 3 and beyond. Spoilers.





	1. Trigger

All Sean could think of in that moment as he watched Finn writhe on the ground, all he could feel, was the gentle weight of Finn’s finger against his chest.

“That’s me...”

He had said softly, eyes twinkling from something besides pot. “...always getting obsessed over people I meet.”

Finn wasn’t the only one who had become obsessed, who had fallen hard and fast. Sean had said as much, in his own timid way, affirming those feelings.

Perhaps there was something different, something inherently carnal, in Sean as a person. Because, unlike sweet and innocent Daniel, whose power had awoken in the face of familial love and despair, Sean’s awoken from the riddled mess of young, new, desperate love. It was all sudden, too sudden.

One moment Merrill had a shotgun over Finn’s head, the younger man’s body trembling as he faced certain death, knee bleeding. The next moment time seemed to slow to a crawl, Sean’s hands were raised - Merrill and Big Joe slammed against the wall until they were unconscious. 

“S-Sean?” Daniel’s voice, sweet and nervous, sounding like a proper nine year old as he tugged on his brother’s sleeve. “Sean...I didn’t do that. I-I swear, I...”

Sean nodded slowly, moving on what seemed to be autopilot. “I know, enano, it’s okay...” He stepped over to Finn, who seemed more than halfway out of it but he was alive, thank fuck, he was alive. 

It all happened so fast from then on out. Money out of the safe, tons of it, getting Finn into the truck they hotwired, Sean speeding sloppily back to the campsite, heart in his throat and head numb. 

They would be safe, he would make sure of it. Asininely, he realized Finn’s comment about the power potentially running in their DNA must have not been far from the truth.


	2. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean, Daniel, and Finn make it back to camp.

“What the fuck? What the fuck?” Cassidy’s thick accent caused a screeching halt to the partying at the campsite, all partygoers swarmed to the kitchen. 

Sean cleared the table of everything quickly, a nervous, frantic looking Daniel trailing behind with large bag over his shoulder. “Please, Finn…h-he needs help.” 

“Sean, what the fuck happened? Where’s Big Joe? And Merrill? Why’d you drive in on one of Big Joe’s trucks?” Questions are rambled off one after another by each member of the family, some more inebriated than others, but all managing to understand it was a very serious situation.

“None of that matters right now, okay?!” The older Diaz exclaimed, voice echoed off the massive redwoods. “We don’t have to worry about Big Joe or Merrill, I took care of them.”

“Sean…” Daniel’s eyes widened in realization, fear crossing the young boy’s expression. If the situation was different, if it wasn’t so dire, Sean might have teased him about the fact that they always had to share everything - apparently even super powers.

“Please, j-just…can someone help Finn? I…I think he got shot in the leg…a-and…” Hannah pushed him aside, motioning for Penny and Jacob to get a few things before she began sliding his pants off to deal with the wound.

“Believe it not, it’s not the first time I’ve had to deal with a bullet wound.” Her voice was firm, calm as she began to work. “Listen, he’s breathing fine, just passed out. Why don’t you go chill and process what the fuck happened so you can share with the group later.” Hannah left no room for argument, so Sean trailed off to the side, sitting at the lawn chair propped up in front of his and Daniel’s tent.

Daniel tucked the duffel of cash into their tent without a word, sitting down next to his big brother. “Sean…did you…” Small voice, barely above a whisper. “…really do that, back there? You…you’re like me?”

“I dunno, enano…” He felt as if he was floating, his mind ten feet above his body as he watched Hannah fish the remnants of a bullet out of Finn’s leg. “…it just…all happened so fast. Merrill waving that shotgun in front of us and…a-and aiming it at Finn. I couldn’t let another person we care about be hurt, Daniel.”

The younger Diaz seemed to nod in understanding, offering his older brother a sympathetic hand on the shoulder. 

“You better start talkin’, now.” Cassidy’s voice was hushed but on the edge of frantic, sitting down with her back to the campsite operation. “…what the hell happened, Sean?”

“Listen, Cass-”

“We went with Finn's idea for a heist, to get back at Merrill and Big Joe.” Daniel chipped in, an annoyed glance from Sean being shot in his direction. 

“You what?” Rage built on her face, fair skin turning pink from the ears down. 

“We were gonna use my…gift so we would all be safe…” The boy continued. 

“Jesus Christ…”

“Merrill and Big Joe caught us, and Finn tried to talk to them, but they shot him in the leg. And then they-they…they were gonna kill him a-and…and…Sean stopped them, he…” Suddenly, the waterworks began, adrenaline draining from Daniel’s trembling form as the realization of all what had happened hit him…the guns in their face, the brush with death, Finn’s injury, Sean’s spontaneous power like his own…

Sean slide down from his chair, taking Daniel in his arms and hugging him close while Cassidy brushed a caring hand through the small boy’s hair, all outrage and tension repressed in the immediacy of comfort needed.

“It’s okay…we’re safe now, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you. Shh…shh…” They sat there and rocked Daniel for what seemed like ages, but it wasn’t long before he was clonked out, snoring faintly. Sean gently moved him into their tent, tucking him in, before sliding back out, too keyed up to rest.

“Sean…don’t mean to insult ya, but there’s no way in fresh hell you were able to take down those two with your bare hands or even a gun. Did you make Daniel use his…thing? Or…”

“No, no…it wasn’t Daniel.” Sean couldn’t meet her scrutinizing gaze, rubbing his hands together nervously. 

“Then what…”

“Hey, guys- Finn’s comin’ around!” Penny called from the kitchen table, Finn beginning to stir and grumble.

“We’ll talk later, promise.” Sean offered Cassidy, but in that moment he just needed to see Finn, needed to know he was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always - feedback, comments, and more are always welcome!


	3. Next Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Sean talk a bit about what happened and the group decides on next steps.

“I feel like shit warmed over...” Finn grunted, stiffly sitting up on the wobbly kitchen table. He shifted to move his leg, ready to swing them over when-

“Don’t put any weight on it.” Sean said quickly, a hesitant hand laid against Finn’s chest to both stop him and keep him upright. “You...you were shot in the leg, by Big Joe. Hannah patched you up once Daniel and I got you back here...”

“Shit, it stings...and it’s late as shit...” Finn squinted around the campsite, most having left to give him some space and to ‘deal with the bullshit that just happened’, but there were a few lanterns illuminating the camping space, Cassidy nervously fiddled with her guitar outside her tent. Hannah and the others bidding their good nights and retreating to their tents, in the recesses of their mind wondering what the hell the next day would entail.

“Are you feeling okay? Uh, c-can I get you anything?” Sean asked, chest squeezed tight, before slightly relaxing with relief.

Finn shot him a peculiar gaze, a mixture of confusion and curiosity. “I’m good...might wanna move to my tent in a bit, but...what about you, Sean? You good, sweetie?”

He colored at the pet name, the connotation different in his mind since their kiss. “Do you remember what happened, back at the house?”

“Some of it.” He answered non-committedly, face uncharacteristically serious as Sean helped him rotate his leg so he could hang it off the side of the table. “Remember getting shot...remember seeing the shotgun waved at you and the little man. Then...then it being pointed at me. What...what all happened, Sean?”

“It’s...hard for me to explain, to say...I guess. Daniel was freaked out a-and all I could think of was Merrill pulling the trigger...I-I couldn’t handle the thought of y-you...” Sean could feel the dampness of tears down his cheeks, a calloused hand of Finn’s caressing his face, brushing a tear away.

“That was you, wasn’t it? Not the little man. You...saved me.” Finn smiled softly, staring into Sean’s eyes. “Looks like it runs in that DNA of yours after all, doesn’t it?”

“I-I guess so, I...” Sean looked down nervously, leaning naturally into the touch of that calloused hand. “I’m just so glad that you and Daniel are safe.” He finished the sentence with a long yawn, eyes bloodshot from exhaustion.

“I’m...glad we’re safe, too, thanks to you.” There was something unsaid, but Sean was too exhausted to try and comment on it. “Ya wanna help ol’ peg leg Finn to his tent, sweetheart? Then you can get some shut eye with your bro, you need it.”

“You’re sweet.” Sean blurted out, feeling his face run warm at being so honest. “You’re the one who just had a bullet pried out of your leg and you’re worried about me being a bit sleepy.”

“What can I say...” Finn smirked, hiding a grimace as Sean wrapped an arm around him, keeping him upright as they walked towards Finn’s tent. Sean vaguely felt Cassidy’s eyes trailing after them, but was too exhausted to think about it too much.

He helped prop Finn’s leg in his tent, feeling his face heat further as he entered the close, cramped space with his...boyfriend? What were they?

“In other circumstances...I’d ask you to spend the night...” A warm hand placed on Sean’s inner thigh, giving the muscle there a squeeze. “...but, sleep, sweetie.”

“Y-Yeah, sleep...”

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“Los Angeles?” Cassidy’s eyebrows knitted together at the suggestion, thumbing through money to give Penny his share. Sean, Daniel, and Finn mutually agreed to split it among all members of their makeshift family - $5k each. The group sat around the kitchen table, majority of their tents, materials, and bags packed.  

“Yeah, I figured, y’know, lay low there for a while...we’d blend in easy with the local scene, rent out a house or somethin’, get some more honorable work...maybe under the table still, but...” Finn explained.

“That’s...not the dumbest idea you’ve had.” Cassidy commented, a row of nods accompanying it.

“You’re all joking, right?” Hannah snorted as she zipped up her bag. “Listen to you...renting a house? What, you gonna wash dishes at some diner for cash? You lock lips with Diaz over there once and suddenly you’re doing a 180 on us?” An accusatory nod towards Sean, who looked down, almost feeling guilty.

“Sean?” Sean feels a bit of relief that Daniel seems more curious than accusatory...their dad did raise them well and to be nonjudgmental.

“We’ll talk about it later...like, when you’re not 9, dude.” He muttered.

“Look, Hannah, you know you’re special to me, girl.” A hot white strike of jealously flared up for a moment in Sean’s stomach. “But all 3 of us, maybe even more, coulda died last night. I jus’...think we need to assess what we’ve been doin’, okay, and take a moment to breath. I’m not gonna hold it against ya if you don’t wanna join me.”

“Fine, fine, but the moment that shit becomes lame, I’m out.” Hannah scoffed.

“Plus, a lot of people in Los Angeles speak Spanish!” Daniel piped in with a beam. “Sean and I can help translate.”

Once all is said and done, Ingrid and Anders decide to head north, Jacob wanted to travel back home to deal with some unresolved issues before moving on with his life, and Penny opted to travel more of California solo. The rest agreed to head to Los Angeles together.

“With this money, I can kick off a bigger search for Jinx. I’m just not fucking happy waiting around anymore. I need answers, whatever the hell they might be.” Penny confided to Sean over what might be their last cup of coffee together. “Love makes you do crazy shit, man, shit you wouldn’t do in any other circumstance.” He gave Sean a knowing nod of his head, eyes glancing over to Finn, who was animatedly telling a story about their dog to Daniel, who was busy patting the canine down.

“I...” Sean folds his hands together, unsure of how to respond at first. “...it’s all so new, I mean...I don’t even know what we are...and...”

“Just be careful, Diaz. You’re a great big bro and you care, a lot. Finn’s...a particular dude, and you gotta be safe...honest with your feelings and what you want, okay? Love makes you do crazy shit, like I said. Remember that, and good luck on the whole...traveling to Mexico thing.”

“Thanks, Penny. Best of luck with your search for Jinx.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to nail down the characterizations. Feel free to leave critical feedback - let me know what you like and dislike!


	4. Labels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean sees Hannah and Finn in a precarious situation on their bus trip down to L.A. He doesn't take it well.

The bus ride wasn’t too bad, and there was a few rest stops along the way to take a leak and nab some snacks.

Sean was searching through the candy at the particular rest stop to try and find a choco-crisp for Daniel. It was around midnight, the sound of crickets echoing through the small storefront despite the automatic doors having been shut.

Sean finally found the candy bars after about a minute, he gathered a bunch of them and headed to the beverages. A couple of bottles of water and...an orange soda for Finn. He blushed at the thought of getting Finn this small thing. It was just a soda, but...the thought of getting something for his, well, whatever they were, made him more than a bit giddy.

He stepped out into the late night heat, stuffing his backpack with his goodies, appreciating a soft breeze as he started his walk. Cassidy stayed back with the pup and a clonked out Daniel, busying herself with a novel she picked up at a bookstore back in Arcata.

Sean gazed down at his feet as he trailed back towards the bus station, lost in thought. Had that really been him back at the house? Maybe he could test it again, but...somewhere private. Only Daniel and Finn knew of what he did and he couldn’t risk more people finding out, not yet, maybe not ever. And what if it only worked that one time? What if he had imagined it and it really was Daniel? What if-

He stopped in his tracks a few feet into the train station, hearing a faint laugh from Hannah, followed by Finn’s voice. Her comments about his and Finn’s...thing...echoed in the back of Sean’s mind. Blood rushed to his ears as he moved closer, finding the duo hidden behind some lockers. Sean tried to move closer to hear, but didn’t want to risk being seen as he crept around the corner of one of the lockers.

Finn leaned heavily on a walking stick he had picked up, Hannah crowded his space before, in one painstaking second, they kissed.

And Sean ran, ignoring the slight rattling of the lockers that was undoubtedly his fault. He ran back onto the train, despite it not leaving for another 20 minutes. His face flushed red with shame, wishing a hole would open up and swallow him whole. It was so stupid, just a stupid, lovestruck kid who-

“Sean?” He jumped at a soft hand on his shoulder, Cass’s thick accent broke through the ringing in his ears. “Everything alright?”

“I-It’s fine, I’m fine.”

She looked unconvinced, one eyebrow raising up to her hairline. “Yeah, sure, and I was born yesterday.”

“Listen, I don’t wanna talk about it, okay? Just...let me be.” He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring out at the unmoving landscape, blinking back tears. He would have to rip out the sketches he made of Finn, all of them, to forget how stupid he had been.

“Oh man, you havin’ a party over here and didn’t invite lil ol’ peg leg.” It was like an ice bath to Sean now, to hear that twangy voice echoing in his ears.

“Hey, guys.” Cassidy greets cheerfully as Finn plops down in a spare seat between Daniel and the pup, hunkering down for a nap, walking stick at his feet.

And Sean hated him that much more for it, looking so carelessly hot and oblivious to the fact he might as well have dropkicked Sean’s heart.

“If you need to talk, I’m here.” Cassidy said as she settled in next to Sean for sleep. Her voice was understanding with an expression both serious and stern, clearly not in the mood to tolerate Sean’s brooding if it wasn’t going to be productive.

“I’m fine, thanks.” He responded, voice less hostile now that they had a bit more of an audience. Part of him wanted to take Cassidy up on her offer, but he really couldn’t with the two sources of his mood less than 5 feet away.

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“Did you get this orange soda for me, sweetie?” Was the first thing Sean heard when he woke. He would have been happy, if he hadn’t instantly remembered Hannah pinned against Finn, lips locked, as soon as they made eye contact.

“Yeah.” He said with too much bite. He was too defensive and honest but dammit, Finn made him act crazy for some reason. “It’s for you.”

“And the choco-crisps are for me?” Daniel asked across the aisle, grin spread across his face as he wiggled the candy bar in his hand. The sight of his little brother, acting like a kid again for fuck’s sake, definitely lightened his mood.

For like 5 seconds.

“Cassidy’s taking a leak in the shitty bus toilet...want me to steal her seat and give you some company, sweetie?” Finn asked, leaning over the aisle with a wink.

Sean’s hands clenched at the arm rests, jaw tightening. “Nah, I’m good...gonna sleep some more.” He grit his teeth, ignoring the small drop of in Finn’s excited, goofy expression. He pulled his hoodie over his head, trying to muffle the outside world and rage nap.

Sean was moderately successfully, given that he completely missed Hannah’s smug comment of “Trouble in paradise?” Geared towards Finn.

He didn’t manage to fall asleep, but did keep himself firmly faced away from everyone else until the next rest stop, the final one before L.A. “Gonna use the restroom and get a few more supplies.” Sean let Cassidy and Daniel know, giving an uncommitted wave to Finn before he headed to the gas station across from the bus stop. Hannah had already got off for a smoke break.

The bathroom was a little bit on the larger side, but held only one toilet with obnoxious florescent lights and a slightly busted lock. He took a quick leak, scrubbing his hands before he began to wash his face, staring at his reflection.

“Get it the fuck together, Sean. You...you can’t be like this...” He was seriously losing his mind. How was he going to share a house with Hannah and Finn? His monologue was interrupted by a heavy knock on the door. “Occupied! I’ll...be out in a sec!” Then the door handle wiggled rapidly. “Hey, man, what the fuck? I said occupied!”

The crappy, half broken lock didn’t stand a chance as Finn shut the door behind him, a warm smile on his face. “Boy, am I glad you aren’t taking a dump.”

“Ever heard of privacy, man?”

“Yeah, I have...which is why I’m talkin’ to you in here instead of on the train or out in the gas station.” Finn’s smile somehow became sweeter. “Kinda glad we couldn’t convince you to cut your hair. It looks real nice all long and shaggy...” He took a step forward and Sean instinctively took a step back, a soft smile faded to equally soft concern, Finn’s eyebrows knitted down. “Sean...what is up with you? You been avoiding me like the plague since the last stop.”

“Oh, like you don’t fucking know!” Sean snapped, hands clenched into fists at his sides, the lights flickering and the mirror rattled.

“Holy shit...” Finn gaped for a moment, eyes wide. “That’s you, ain’t it, sweetie? That’s...pretty damn hot...”

“I saw you and Hannah, Finn, for fuck’s sake!” He finally shouted, a crack in the middle of the mirror, warping the reflection of the duo.

“Shit.”

“Yeah, shit.” He folded his hands over his chest, dark eyes glaring. “Why...what...”

“Look, Sean, I’ve never really been the monogamous type before, okay...” Finn started, almost instantly regretting it as he noticed the dampness forming in Sean’s eyes.

“I should’ve known...” Sean began to feel that same shame when he saw them kiss creep up his spine.

“That being said, I...had to formally end my, y’know, ‘arrangement’ with Hannah.” Finn used the hand not holding his walking stick to rub at the back of his neck, looking almost...shy, before he made eye contact with Sean. “She thought I was jokin’ and tried to make a move on me, but...I can’t joke about you, Sean. Never been much of a soulmate kinda person, but...I wasn’t lying when I said we had a strong connection. And I wanna see where it leads us...and only us. You’re not just gonna be a lay for me, I gotta do right by you.”

“What does that make us?” Sean managed around the cotton in his mouth, palms sweaty and knees weak at the confession.

“Mm, I dunno, sweetheart, not really one much for labels...but you wanna find out?” Finn moved in closer, Sean’s back pressed to the wall but not resisting the invasion of his space.

“F-Fuck.” Sean managed, before his mouth was covered by Finn’s, the faint taste of artificial orange invading his senses. The taste was sweet. Sean never would have thought chasing the tongue of another boy in a dingy gas station bathroom would be the hottest experience of his 16 years of life. “B-Boyfriend...” When they finally stopped their impromptu make out session to catch air.

“Boyfriend it is, sweetie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got a little spicy towards the end, huh?


	5. House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group settle into the house and begin to look for work.

“This place is a piece of shit.” Hannah grumbled at the rundown ranch style house, arms crossed over her chest.

“It’s not so bad...” Cassidy argued, unlocking the door with her copy of the key, motioning for the others to come inside.

It was an old thing with chipped paint, a muddy yard with a small back porch, nearly underneath a highway, but thankfully it was on a bus line and came with a working fridge and stove. And a shower...a glorious shower, with warm fucking water.

The landlord was an older Mexican-American woman by the name of Monique who only spoke Spanish and looked at Sean with a level of familiarity that unsettled him, like she had somehow seen him before. Thankfully, no one in the group mentioned it.

It was nice, though, and because it was theirs as long as they paid rent...even if it wasn’t in the “best” of neighborhoods. A far cry from their house in Seattle, but once the sun had set, the group had brought in their sleeping bags and set up the living room as a make shift sleeping area, and the faint sounds of cars echoed through the house and rattled the windows, Sean was confident it could become a home.

Daniel had gone to sleep over an hour ago, huddled up against the dog, Cassidy situated in her own corner of the room, Hannah busy with a paper in front of her looking for odd jobs to pick up, and Finn sitting with Sean on the back porch.

Finn took the rip from the blunt, offering it to Sean who puffed a bit before passing it back. “Does it...scare you?” The younger said after a moment, voice unsure.

“What do ya mean?”

“Me and... you.” Sean admitted, rolling his hoodie’s sleeves over his hands, pulling his knees to his chest. “What we have is so new and...and it feels intense. I mean, for fuck’s sake, I’m telekinetic because of it. And you’re apparently monogamous because of it.” He joked.

“Yeah, uh...it’s different.” Finn confided, laying a hand on Sean’s thigh. “But it feels...so right, to be here together, don’t it? No need to overthink it.”

“That’s me...Senor Overthinker.” Sean nodded with a nervous chuckle, as he picked on a loose strand of his jeans. A calloused hand tilted his head up, warm lips meeting his own. “Don’t think I’ll ever get sick of kissing you.” He flushed, remembering Penny’s words about being honest.

“Me neither, mi amante.”

His accent was horrible, but the attempt earned another kiss from Sean.

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“Not uh, you’re not going out to look for any jobs until your leg is finished healing.” Cassidy wouldn’t budge on this.

“I agree.” Sean nodded, sliding his sketchbook into his back pocket. “We can’t risk it getting infected or you pulling your stitches.”

“The landlord said there were some old boxes up in the attic that we could help ourselves too, right, Sean? So why don’t you make yourself useful and go through them while babysitting the kid and we look for work?” Hannah decided, clearly annoyed and ready to go.

“Hey!” Daniel protested to being called a kid, a pout firmly over his face. “And why can’t I go with one of you?”

“Because it’s a school day. We’re not out in the wilderness anymore, people are going to question why you’re not at school.” Sean sighed, rubbing at his temples. It was a risk to go out himself, given his age. He hoped the tattoo from Cassidy and the weariness on his face would pass him off as a young early-20 something. He noticed the fall expression on his little brother’s face. “Look, I promise...once things settle down a bit, we can do something fun.”

“Oh, oh, can we go to the movies?” Daniel cheered up at that, a grin split over his face.

“Yeah, we can go to the movies.” Sean promised, ruffling his hairs before he, Hannah, and Cassidy headed out to the big bad world.   

Hannah had read about a temp construction and odd job agency a few blocks over, Cassidy accompanying her to see if there was anything in vicinity of the house. Sean opted for the bus, hoping to find something deeper into the city and to explore a bit.

He wandered across a few different places, shocked by the amount of people and vibrancy, stores, businesses. It was refreshing, although in the back of his mind was the pertinent fear of being recognized. But he couldn’t let that stop him, he had to be brave.

A bookstore seemed like a viable option, but unfortunately the ones he stumbled on didn’t have any opinion positions. Although he was able to get Daniel a few age appropriate textbooks, definitely not looking forward to the arguments and complaints he would undoubtedly get from Daniel about having to do schoolwork. He picked up a few Hawt Dawg Man comics, too.

Things seemed a little hopeless for employment on Sean’s first day out until he stumbled on a small business at a quiet corner.

‘Fate Tattoo & Photo Gallery’ the hand painted signed awning above the storefront said. ‘Paid Tattoo Artist Apprentice Needed, Inquire Inside’

Sean felt the weight of his sketchbook in his back pocket. This wasn’t what he had in mind, but...it couldn’t hurt to try, could it? Any work at this point would be good work. He opened the front door, notifying the young woman at the front desk with a brown bob to his presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder who owns the shop, hmmmmmmmm?


	6. Familiar Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean gets a job, Finn and Daniel talk.

“Oh, hello.” The woman at the desk said with a soft voice, looking up from the work she was doing.  Framing photos, if Sean had to guess. “I’m Max.” She pulled her soft brown hair back into a short ponytail, a kind smile reaching her eyes. “What can I help you with?”

“S-Sean...my name is Sean.” He took her hand and gave it an awkward shake, looking down shyly at his boots for a moment. “I...um s-saw the sign about the position and I...”

“Nope, no fucking way.” Another voice called out from the back, far more aggressive. Beads that hung from the doorway behind the front desk parted, another woman emerged. She was taller, even taller than Sean, with blue hair, covered in tattoos and jewelry. She could have fit in well with Finn’s crew, Sean idly thought.

“But...I can draw!” Sean motioned idly with his hands, the blue-haired woman snorting.

“Sure, kid, sure...you do that sad work on your arm yourself? Jesus, don’t waste my time. You’re like 13 and amateurish as fuck.” She shook her head, motioning dismissively.

“Chloe...” Max’s small voice piped up and the woman, Chloe, folded her arms in front of her chest. “...you don’t need to be mean.”

“I didn’t...do this it was...a-a friend...” Sean could hear the pleading in his own voice. “...did it. And I’m not 13!” That didn’t seem to do him any favors. “Look, I really can draw!” He withdrew his sketchbook with nervous hands, nearly dropping it, before trying to flip to a sketch that was appropriate, that he was proud of.

“Seriously, I’ve heard that one before. Not interested.” Chloe rolled her eyes, walking behind one of the screened off sections of the shop to check on some equipment, clearly meant for privacy of clients being tattooed.

“Um, I...okay...s-sorry...” Sean fumbled, trying to close his sketchbook, face red with embarrassment. This was stupid, he was stupid...

“Hey, this fell from your sketchbook.” Max, the brunette’s soft voice snapped Sean to attention. It was a drawing that had scribbled on a spare sheet, a sketch of Finn laughing on the bus. He took it back fromher slowly, shoving it between pages of the book. “It’s a really nice sketch, Sean. I don’t want to pry, but...who is he?”

Sean didn’t know what it was or why, but for some reason he felt he could trust this woman. Her soft, nonjudgmental smile, an oddly knowing glint in her eyes as she waited patiently for his response.

“Finn, his name’s Finn.” Sean blushed and felt his cheeks heat from a different form of embarrassment. “He’s my...b-boyfriend. We, um, moved here recently with my little brother and a few of our friends, looking for a new start, you know?” She was just really, really easy to talk to, Sean decided.

“Definitely.” Max gave him a familiar smile, patting his hand gently over his sketchbook. “Could you wait here, just a moment?”

“S-Sure.”

She disappeared behind the same screen that the infamous Chloe was, a few hushed words that Sean couldn’t quite hear, before he heard the taller woman’s voice raise. “No, no fucking way, Max! Hey d-don’t give me that look, c’mon, man!”

“Shhh!” Max’s voice peeped out from behind the screen. There were more murmured and hushed discussion before an impatient tap of booted feet. Sean was tempted to leave, feeling awkward and dejected despite Max’s sympathetic eye.

Finally, both women emerged from behind the screen, Chloe’s shoulders slumped down and Max dawning a satisfied smile. “Alright, kid. Don’t bullshit me. We know you’re way too young to be working here, but Max says you’re good. You don’t complain, you don’t bother customers, you come on time, and you do what’s asked. If Max wants you to help her frame photos, you sit your scrawny ass down and frame photos. If I want you to mop the shop, you mop the shop. You start tomorrow at 10 a.m. on practice skin – no fuck ups or else!”

Sean’s mouth gaped for a moment. “I-I...thank you, s-so much...” He shook both their hands, unable to keep the face splitting grin. He had a job, a cool one at that! “...you won’t regret it, I promise!”

“Yeah, yeah, kid...beat it, before I change my mind.” Chloe waved dismissively, but there was the slight ghost of a smile on her lips.

“We have to close up shop now, but we’ll see you tomorrow, Sean.” Max offered. With a few more thanks, Sean was on his way back to the bus stop, heart hammering with excitement and anticipation of sharing with the group.

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“Wow, this is SO cool!” Daniel exclaimed, having opened an old box of toys in the attic, finding a mix of stuffed animals and old trucks. “I can’t believe Mrs. Rodriguez said we could have this stuff.”

Finn chuckled, busy going through an assortment of dishes, pots, and pans. “That’s some pretty awesome finds, little man.”

They continued their sorting and rummaging for a bit, Daniel practicing his powers by moving the boxes around a bit until he paused, finally getting up the courage to ask Finn a burning question.

“F-Finn?”

“What’s up?”

“Uh, well...Sean said I couldn’t ask about this ‘till I was older, but...” Daniel frowned. “...I know he thinks I’m a kid, that I don’t get a lot of things. I think he...doesn’t do it to be mean.”

Finn nodded in understanding, waiting for Daniel to continue.

“I saw you and Sean... on the back porch yesterday. I think he thought I was asleep, but I woke up to get a glass of water.” The younger Diaz said slowly, building up to his question.

Finn chuckled. “We were on the back porch Daniel, yeah.” There was no point in lying and the kid could handle the truth. Finn cared deeply for both brothers, saw them as part of his family even before he and Sean became a thing.

“And you...kissed.” Daniel said in more of a question than a statement.

“That’s right.”

“O-Oh, um...so are you like, dating? Like...boyfriends?” He managed to say, a level of genuine curiosity in his youthful voice.

“That’s the label your brother picked, so yeah, you could say boyfriends.” Finn laughed with a nod at the bewildered expression Daniel gave his response. “I prefer soulmates, personally, though I didn’t take much stock in that kinda language before him.”

“Wow...so...you’re dating my big brother.” Daniel sat back in realization. “That’s...”

“Is that okay, Daniel?” It was a genuine question. Daniel loved his brother and clearly didn’t like too much attention being taken away from him. Despite the fact Daniel had an old soul in many ways, he was still young in heart and mind in more ways.

“Yeah! I-It is! I just never thought Sean liked boys.” He decided, before a fierce expression took over his features. “That’s pretty cool that he’s dating someone cool like you! But...b-be nice to him, okay!” He proclaimed with protective ferocity. “Even if he is kinda lame sometimes, he’s still my big brother and we gotta look out for each other, so...so be good to him!”

“I will, little man.” Finn ruffled his hair. “I promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't resist putting Max and Chloe in, lol.
> 
> What do you think so far? What are some things you'd like to see? Let me know!


	7. Reminder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean tries to use his powers and the group shares dinner.

“So, you haven’t done it since back at the house?” Daniel asked curiously as Sean brushed out his growing hair. The two brothers sat on the back porch, Finn busy making dinner as Hannah and Cassidy finished going through the rest of the boxes in the attic.

“Huh? No...not, well, not intentionally, at least.” Sean bit his bottom lip, beginning to braid Daniel’s hair. It was getting so long.

“Why not?”

“Well, unlike you, I don’t wanna get caught.” He snipped defensively, before letting out an exaggerated sigh. “I...am also not really sure how to...” The older brother admitted.

Daniel gave him the biggest, most annoying smirk he had ever seen, before he spun around, poking at his brother’s ribs. “Sean doesn’t know how to use his powers!” He sung, a tad too loud.

“Hey, stop it, enano!” His face heated a bit, embarrassment clear. Of course he didn’t – less than two weeks ago he didn’t even have them!

Daniel managed to compose himself after a little laughing fit, he sat up with a firm expression. “I’ll show you.”

“Oh, you’ll show me, huh?” A quirked up, unconvinced eyebrow.

“Yeah. I mean...you helped me, a lot, but it’s...different actually doing it. So, lemme help you.” He insisted. Their fences were high enough in the back...what would be the harm?

“Fine...” He rolled his eyes. “...show me, dude.”

“Okay, so...” Daniel stood up, walking around the yard before returning with a few small stones. He placed them on the bannister of the porch. “...we’re gonna try and move these rocks.”

“Okay.” Sean stared at them, peering.

Daniel chuckled. “You don’t stare them down to move them, Sean!” He laughed. “It’s more like...stretching a hand out, but...instead of a hand, it’s your mind.”

“That actually makes a lot of sense, in a weird way.” So he refocused, eyes intent on the rocks, focusing more and more until the bannister of the porch cracked off on its hinges, tumbling down in a heap.

“What the fuck was that?” Hannah called out of the attic window. Sean panicked for a moment...he had done that...

“U-Uh, wood rot!” He decided quickly. “I think...old house!”

“Piece of shit house is more like it.” She slammed the window shut again. Daniel stared at Sean for a moment, eyes wide before he burst out laughing.

“Way to go, genius!”

“H-Hey...I’m new to this, okay?” Sean crossed his arms over his chest defensively, the good natured chuckle from his baby brother suppressing the trickling fear in the pit of his stomach. It was one to be destructive when in fear or when he was upset...he would have to learn how to control that...but this was simple instruction, testing out his powers. But he lacked control. Daniel wasn’t like this when they first manifested.

Before Sean could dwell on it any further, Finn had popped open the back door. “Dinner! Uh...what the hell happened here?”

“Just some power stuff, no biggie.” Daniel said quickly, sharing a quick look with Sean. “We can let the landlady know it was wood rot.”

“Right.” Finn gave Sean his own look, but dropped the subject quickly in favor of announcing dinner to Cassidy and Hannah.

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“There’s a bar across the street from the temp place Hannah got a painting gig from. They needed a new hostess and...” Cassidy pulled her guitar over her lap, careful to not knock over her plate of spaghetti or the others as they sat in a circle, eating dinner. “...live music every Tuesday.”

“That’s awesome, girl!” Finn praised.

“Way to go, Cassidy! When do you start?” Sean asked between bites of pasta. He tried not to think about why the noodles and sauce made him feel so melancholy.

She put her guitar down, goofy grin revealing her gaped teeth. “Monday. In the meantime, I thought I’d take Daniel shopping for some furniture and stuff over the weekend. There’s a Salvation Army not too far from here. And, uh, if we’re holdin’ up here for a while we might need...”

“Oh, oh, Sean, please – can I?” Daniel pleaded over his pasta, puppy dog eyes to the max. Sean conceded with a nod, giving his little brother a pat on the back.

Hannah polished off her plate, taking a swig of water before staring daggers at Sean. “And what about you?”

“A-Actually...” Sean smiled shyly, looking at his hands a bit nervously. “...got a job at a tattoo parlor as an apprentice artist.”

“What? Super cool!” Daniel piped up, hanging off his brother’s shoulders in an instant.

Cassidy and Hannah added into the praises, Sean turning pink after only a few seconds. It was pretty awesome, perhaps the first stroke of luck he’d had in a while...well, besides running into the guys again.

“That’s pretty hot, Sean...how long until you can tat me up, sweetie?” Finn waggled an eyebrow up, but there was some heat behind his statement that transferred to a spiraling warmth in the pit of Sean’s stomach.

The thought of marking Finn permanently, living an imprint on his skin, a reminder of their connection. It was almost too much for Sean to think about. “Aw, look, you broke the poor kid’s brain. Why don’t you two get a room?” Hannah mocked, good naturedly.

“Gross!” Daniel flung himself off of Sean.

“It...m-might be a little while until then, but...if you’re willing, I’ll totally add to your ink.”

“Mmm, I’d like that, sweetheart.” Evening flirting aside, everyone settled in relatively early. Hannah wanted a head start on sleeping with her painting gig starting at 6 am the next day and clonked out with the dog sleeping firmly next to her, Cassidy entertaining Daniel as they looked through some of the Hawt Dawg Man comics Sean had picked him up.

Sean regulated himself to the kitchen, cleaning the dishes leftover from dinner despite Finn insisting otherwise. “You cooked, it’s only fair someone else cleans.”

Finn wore a fond smile as he insisted on drying off the plates before stacking them in the cupboard. It was serene, a level of peace and calmness that had become so foreign in their lives. It’s shattered moments later, all because of a few containers of seasoning Sean noticed aligned next to the stove. Seasoning that Finn used to make dinner, lined up the same way dad used to have his when he made pasta.

“Sean, sweetie, what’s wrong?” Finn placed the drying rag down, letting go of the counter he was using to prop himself up to clasp both hands on Sean’s shoulders. One hand slinked down, brushing away tears.

“I-It’s stupid it...j-just...” Sean tried to look away, but Finn wouldn’t let him, pale, soft eyes meeting his own dark ones in gentle reassurance. “...was remembering my dad. A-And everything...that happened.”

“Oh, Sean...”

“...being here...for just a couple of days has been so awesome...” He allowed himself to say through a wet smile. “But one slip up...one goddamn fuck up and it’s all gone...and it could be worse this time. I don’t wanna have to run with Daniel anymore, I don’t want you guys hurt, I just...” Sean could hear the shortness of his breath, feeling his knees getting weak.

Finn pressed their foreheads together. “Breath, sweetie, count back from ten with me...” So Sean did, ending up on the floor of the kitchen, wrapped in Finn’s arms. “...there we go...”

“Sorry...about that.” Sean wiped at his face with his fraying hoodie sleeve, taking in a few more trembling breaths. “I...didn’t mean to make you stress, man, I just...”

“Hey, when you gotta let it out, you gotta let it out.” Finn smiled, confident and caring. Sean felt like the butterflies in the pit of his stomach would never go away when he was with this other boy. “I...like that you can be open with me like this, Sean.”

“I trust you.”

“I trust you, too.” Finn replied, giving Sean a small kiss at the crux of his neck and jaw that produced a pleased shiver from the other boy. “Now help ol’ peg leg Finn off the floor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How'd you guys like this chapter? What would you like to see addressed in future chapters? Let me know!


	8. Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean has his first day at work and Cassidy finds out what happened to Merrill and Big Joe.

Sean felt sweat dip down his brow as he worked on artificial skin. It was a simple rose, but he couldn’t fuck up, he knew both Max and Chloe were seriously putting their necks out for him and he had to deliver.

“Not bad.” Chloe commented as he working on shading in the left corner with a darker shade of red.

“T-Thank you...” He gave a small, shy smile.

“For a noob.” Her voice was harsh, Sean’s expression fell, to which she let out a defeated sigh. “Look, the line work is good, but you have got to work better on coloring and shading. I can’t tell where the light source is.”

“I’m sorry, you’re right, I...”

“Don’t apologize, you’re still new at this.” Chloe gave him her own brand of an encouraging smile. “Try again.” She took away the old practice skin, replacing it with a fresh sheet. Her 2 p.m. appointment came in and she disappeared behind the screen with the client to get to work.

“Maybe it would help if you could see it, Sean, to make visualizing the shadows easier?” Max piped up before she printed out a picture, bringing it over to him. “This is one of my older photos so it’s a bit novice-y...um, but it might help with shadows.”

“Wow, Max...thanks.” Sean looked down at the photo, a single red rose in a clear vase, a slight source giving it defined shadow. A perfect subject for Sean to start with. How was Max able to find such a perfect picture so quickly? It’s as if she knew the feedback Chloe was going to give him.

Or, maybe Sean’s just tired and not thinking straight. So much has changed in the past few weeks, but...this was his new normal. It wasn’t Puerto Lobos, but it was still pretty sweet. He got to work on the line art again. That was where his strength was, after years of sketching and going through book after book, the outline of a rose came easily to him.

Now, the hard part. He switched to the darker red first, deciding to start with the shady part of the flower first. “Visualize the shadows, the light source...” He hummed to himself, lost in concentration until he heard the snap of a camera. “Oh!”

“Sorry.” Max chuckled. “I hope that wasn’t too distracting. You had a really intense expression on your face...you don’t mind that I caught it?”

“No, no...it’s fine.” He smiled. She was so soft spoken, but had this air about her that just spoke of an untold strength. He’d have to sketch her and Chloe sometime soon. He focused back in on the photo of the rose, expression intense as he began the slightest bit of shading. The light source was the upper left corner, and he would shade the rose around that light source.

“You’re doing better, dude.” Chloe gave him a pat on the back when she emerged from behind the screen, her client heading out after paying Max with a bandage over his shoulder.

Sean smiled, but didn’t say anything as he continued his methodical coloring.

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“Whoa, look at this chair! Can we get it, can we?” Daniel asked excitedly, jumping into a chair shaped more like an egg.

Finn laughed, switching his walking stick to his other hand to tap the top of it, Daniel jumping at the echo it made. “It is pretty funky...and also only $10.”

Cassidy flagged down one of the employees, who marked it as sold. “Alright, we gotta get a couch now...”

The managed to find a decent one, and a kitchen table with a few mismatched dining chairs.

Daniel dragged Finn to the used toy aisles, both of them ooing and awing over the selection, even managing to find an old Power Bear figure. It was missing a hand, but Daniel really didn’t care.

Cassidy joined them a few minutes later, finding them near the used book section as Finn thumbed through the young adult dramas. “Well, I scheduled a drop off for tomorrow evening. But...getting stuff in the house is gonna be pretty damn hard. We could hire a few of their guys, but that would cost money.”

“Um, I’m right here!” Daniel hissed, giving Cassidy a look that can only be described ‘no duh’.

“We really don’t want you using that just...willy dilly.” She whispered, trying to make sure the other store patrons didn’t get suspicious but the moderately bizarre conversation. “Maybe...you can help once we get stuff inside, but...Hannah still doesn’t know. And we don’t want the neighbors to get suspect...a nine-year-old lifting couches...”

“Ugh, fine!” He huffed. “Just have Sean use his powers, then!”

Finn’s eyed widened, covering Daniel’s mouth with a tattooed hand. Sean wanted his power a secret, for reasons Finn may not understand, but he was going to try and respect it. Even if the cat was kind of already out of the bag.

“What did you just say?” Cassidy’s mouth gaped open, taken aback.

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“You fucking told her, Daniel?” Sean’s voice echoed in the living room, his dark eyebrows drawn. Cassidy sat a bit helpless in her laid out sleeping bag, rubbing at her temples. She was just going to let them both get it out of their system, because this was clearly an argument between some agreement between them. That...and she was still reeling from the fact that apparently Sean had been responsible for what happened to Merrill and Big Joe. It was...a little scary.

Finn had other ideas, hovering close to Sean, his hands on the older Diaz’s shoulders. “S-Sean, now listen...it was just an accident...”

“Stay out of this, Finn!” Sean caught himself saying, a bit shocked at the shortness in his own temper. The house’s windows shook ever so slightly. Finn withdrew his hands, but didn’t move further than that. He focused back on Daniel, but some of the heat behind his words was gone. “As if that wasn’t bad enough, you blabbered about our powers – in public! You just don’t learn, do you?”

“I’m sorry about talking about it public...” Daniel admitted. “...but I am NOT sorry about telling Cass. We shouldn’t hide our powers from our family!”

“Family.” Sean echoed, any of the remaining rage had drifted out of his body at that.

“Yeah, Sean, our family! We...we live in this house together, we eat dinner together, Cassidy reads comic books with me, Hannah plays zombie, Finn gets me extra choco-crisps, we have a dog...and you’re my big brother.” Daniel wiped at the tears forming in his eyes quickly. “And we shouldn’t keep stuff like this secret from our family. We shouldn’t lie! I still hate that we haven’t told Hannah yet...”

“Oh, enano...”

“Haven’t told me what?” Hannah pushed open the screen front door, a bit of dried paint on her cheek as she held a bag of groceries at her hip for dinner.

“Uh, um...” Daniel gave Sean an expectant glare, challenging his older brother. “...this is gonna sound crazy. But...Daniel and I can prove it. He and I are...different, we...can do this thing...”

“Oh, that thing.” She rolled her eyes, walking past them to put the groceries on the kitchen countertop. As she unpacked, she snorted out an unimpressed laugh. “I know about the thing. The whole...telekinesis, move shit with your mind kinda deal?”

Silent shock fell over as the entire group focused in on

“How do you know?”

“Because you geniuses aren’t subtle.” She spun around, hands crossed over her chest. “I saw Daniel weeks ago at the campsite with rocks...he had them floating over the lake. And I saw your little magic trick with the back porch bannister, Sean.”

“S-Sorry...” Sean felt his cheeks redden, embarrassment clear. He can’t believe he lost his temper so easily, that he snapped at Daniel and Finn over this, especially when Hannah had already figured out herself.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Cassidy piped up, sounding somewhat hurt.

“None of you asked. It was pretty obvious you were trying to keep it a secret. But, seriously...you need to get better at it. If we’re going to live in this shithole, we all have to do what we can to keep low profile...and stay safe. Deal?”

Hannah was met with affirmations around.

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“I’m sorry...for snapping at you earlier.” Sean rubbed at the back of his neck lamely. He and Finn were reclining on the back porch, sharing a smoke. “I...don’t know what came over me. You and Daniel didn’t deserve me talking to you like that.”

“It’s alright, it’s a difficult...uh, predicament.” Finn laid a hand on top of Sean’s, moving it from his neck and replacing it with his own. “Damn, you’re tense, honey...” He rubbed there, Sean’s head lulling as he let out a small groan. “Rough day at work?”

“It’s not so bad. Max and Chloe are really cool. Just...I’m just...waitin’ for shit to go down...” Sean rubbed at his eyes, letting out a small yawn.

“Mmm, you need to do somethin’ fun.” Finn decided, moving his hand down Sean’s spine, caressing him gently as he does. The younger boy let out a small, shaky sigh. Finn’s hand crept up to his inner thigh squeezing there. “Let loose and feel good, that’s what my boy deserves...doesn’t he?”

“I-I...”

“Don’t ya?” Finn nearly cooed, giving the shell of his ear a teasing little lick. Sean could feel heat growing in his stomach, moving closer and closer to Finn’s body heat.

“I do...I want...” Their lips met, hot and wet as they got lost in each other for a moment, Finn’s arms around him, smell of smoke and heat and everything good in the world that Sean couldn’t name.

“Sean!!!” Daniel called from the house, the two boys untangling from each other in time for Daniel to slide the porch door open. “You said you’d tell me a bedtime story...one about the wolf brothers and the hounds!”

“Okay, okay, enano...I’ll be in in a minute...” Daniel rushed back into the house at that. “...sorry...I...”

“Don’t be, sweetie.” Finn took Sean’s hand in his own as the older Diaz stood up, rubbing a finger over his knuckles. “You. Me. Tomorrow night, after we get the furniture moved in...date night, okay?”

“Definitely.” Sean flushed as Finn gave his hand a small kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay - adulthood and work sucks.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts!


	9. Date Night

‘Date night’ started off with laser tag with everyone from the house. Sean really wasn’t that disappointed, though, especially when he saw the smile break out across Daniel’s face.

“No way! This. Is. AWESOME!” Daniel hopped up and down excitedly, grabbing Hannah’s hand quickly. “Can we be on the same team, Hannah? Can we?”

“Sure, kid.” She ruffled his hair, before helping Daniel put on one of the red vests, a children’s size.

“Looks like I’m chopped liver now, huh?” Sean chuckled at the picture Hannah and Daniel made. It reminded him a bit of how Lyla used to coddle Daniel. Fuck. Lyla.

That felt like a lifetime ago. The last time he had talked with her was in the winter at Beaver Creek. She was...a mess. Seemed reassured when Sean had called her, but clearly not in the best mental state. Yeah, that was an understatement. Maybe he could give her another call? Just to check on her?

“Sean, you okay?” Cassidy’s hand on his shoulder snapped him from his thoughts, concern clear on her face.

“Yeah, oh, yeah, I-I’m good.” He promised, giving her a half-sincere smile.

“Suit up then. Looks like we’re outnumbered and on the same team.” She tossed him a blue vest, Sean faking offense as he glared over at Hannah, Finn, and Daniel in their matching red vests.

“My own flesh and blood AND my boyfriend. The betrayal.” Sean huffed, Finn shooting him an amused little wink.

“No loyalty in war, sweetheart.”

“Yeah!” Daniel grinned wolfishly.

Laughs and curses echoed throughout the dark, black light lit hallways of the building. Sean had managed to take down Hannah, but Daniel was quick on taking out Cassidy. Finn had been stealthily avoiding everyone, creeping in corners and shadows waiting for just the right moment to take down the remaining member of the blue team. He had the opportune moment, Sean’s back to him as he took uneasy, light steps through a corner. Finn tackled him to the ground, falling into Sean’s lap.

No, he definitely wasn’t using this little game an excuse to get into his boyfriend’s lap. Who cared if he squirmed a little bit as he did it? Besides, even without his bum leg Sean could outrun him. He had no choice but to tackle him to the ground and keep him pinned there.

“Looks like you got me.” Sean grunted, eyebrows knitted up in concentration as Finn gave him a self satisfied grin.

“That I do...now...if only I could enjoy mah spoils of war…” He leant down, one hand laced with Sean’s as he gave him a deep, wet kiss. Hopefully they wouldn’t get kicked out for this, but Finn couldn’t help himself. Seeing Sean, sweaty and smiling, his dark hair had gotten so long...nearly covering his eyes. He seemed to free, so happy, it was intoxicating. Just as Finn leant in for a second kiss, the telltale beeping of the toy gun went off.

Sean had shot him, directly in the chest.

“No loyalty in war, sweetheart.” He smirked, before giving Finn another kiss.

Both were too distracted to notice the pinched expression of Daniel, until he gagged and shot at Sean’s vest, winning the game for team red.

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Hannah and Cass agreed to take Daniel back to the house,with a piping hot pizza in tow from the arcade’s kitchen and promises of putting him to bed on time.

  
It was a Friday evening and it wasn’t like he had to worry about school anyways, so Sean didn’t mind too much if Daniel stayed up a little bit pass bedtime. Or maybe that was just him being on cloud nine talking.

He and Finn had gotten their own slices of pizza to go, hanging out in a nearby playground, nearly empty in the cooling night as the sunset. They lounged around, talking about nothing in particular as they made their way to the swings.”

“Push me, sweetie?” Finn asked with a playful smile. Sean thought for a moment, looking over his shoulder before he tilted his head to the side. The swing creaked for a moment, independent of either boy giving it a touch, before Finn took off. “Holy shit, Sean!” A noise that could only be described as a giggle, erupted from Finn.

“This okay? Not...not too weird?”

“Definitely not weird, ‘s awesome...you really are something else, Sean Diaz.” Finn giggled again as Sean concentrated on another particularly strong gust, both legs high in the air.

  
Sean still felt self conscious about it, about the power. He would never judge Daniel for it, but their differing circumstances of how they came to be made him more self conscious than anything else. When...it...happened, Daniel was passed out. But Sean didn’t, he was conscious, aware. If his powers had woken there, could he have done something? No, he couldn’t think like that, couldn’t carry that guilt anymore than Daniel should, right?

“Sean.” Finn’s voice was soft, understanding. The swinging had stopped as Sean had fallen deep into his thoughts. “‘s okay, sweetie. It’s gonna be okay, okay?”

“Yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to space out. I...tonight’s been awesome.” He answered honestly as Finn reached an arm between the chains of their swings, laying a hand over Sean’s shoulders. He cradled him close, Sean’s head instinctively burrowed into the crook of Finn’s neck. “I always had a hard time having anyone touch me. Besides family and a few close friends...and even then, even when my dad asked for a hug because he was proud or Daniel wanted to give me a high five...it was sometimes hard to even give Lyla a hug. But with you...it’s always been so easy.” He admitted, unable to look Finn in the eye as he felt his cheeks burn at the admission.

“Yeah?” Finn kissed his temple, stroking a gentle hand down Sean’s spine. “You make it easy to touch, y’know? When you get those sweet lil’ smiles on your lips or the creases on your brow when you pout. Just wanna kiss you all the same...touch ya all the same. Didn’t know soulmates were a thing before you, not really.”

“Finn-” Sean choked, sitting upright as he pulled the other boy into a deep kiss, fingers tangled in his dreadlocks in an instant. The angle was a little awkward with unstable sitting and the chainlink of the swings in the way, but they made it work as Finn pulled away from a breath for just a moment. His eyes blown with dark and wide pupils, hunger deepening as he pulled Sean in for an even wetter kiss.

Finn’s expert lips trailed down lower, sucking a mark under Sean’s sensitive jaw. “Oh, fuck, Finn...please…”

“Mm, I’d like nothin’ more…” He purred, trying to keep himself cool and collected, in control despite the fact his mind was running just as wild as Sean’s. “...c’mon, let’s...let’s head back to the house.”

“Hmm?” Sean barely registered the words as he clutched to Finn’s chest, trying to catch his breath.

“Worked on fixin’ up one of the bedrooms on the second floor...wanna check it out with me?”

“I...I’d like that, yeah.” Sean flustered, nearly tripping over his feet as Finn took his hand, leading him to the nearest bus stop.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment, share ideas for future chapters, and give feedback.
> 
> Thanks!


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